Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	darkness_n	glory_n	shine_v	2,497	5	9.0823	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09262	Fiue godly, and profitable sermons concerning 1 The slaverie of sinne. 2 The mischiefe of ignorance. 3 The roote of apostasie. 4 The benefit of Gods service. 5 The Christians loue. Preached in his life time in sundry places. By that late faithfull minister of Christ Mr William Pemble of Magdalen Hall in the Vniversity of Oxford.	Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.; Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1628 (1628)	STC 19576A; ESTC S114334	73,812	112

to buy lace and needlesse superfluities of apparell and hast thou not monie to buy a Bible or any other good Booke for shame say not so But I haue no time to read for any thing else time enough to doe nothing to lie a bed till noone to sit two or three houres at dinner or supper to goe to such a friend and there spend halfe a day to such a freind and there spend another to doe any chare that comes in extraordinarily Away with those excuses 't is certaine my brethren there is no calling be it of never so much employment but of twenty foure hours they may if they list spare two at the least for religious imployments yea more if they bee wise and thriftie of their time But I cannot buy all bookes nor read all nor would any man haue thee doe so but buy some read some canst thou not tell which are best and most profitable then aske counsell of the skilfull that are able to advise thee But learning is a hard matter and 't is not for plaine folke to vnderstand the Bible No is it not Then God is too blame that hath written a word for the instruction of all which yet none but schollers should vnderstand but know this is nothing but an excuse for thy slothfulnes learning is hard because thou art vnwilling to learn otherwise the spirit of God hath testified that knowledge is plaine and easie to him that will vnderstand And doe but trie taking but that paines in the studie of religion which thou doest in many needlesse imployments and experience shall tell thee that wisedome is to be found of all that doe seeke her And yet my brethren because the well is deepe and you may plead that you haue not wherewith to draw let mee tell you in the last place of one meanes more to get knowledge which blesseth all the forenamed helpes and that is 5 Prayers vnto God that he would giue thee an vnderstanding heart to know the mysteries of salvation that he would open thine eies to see the wonders of his law That light which is in thee must come downe from the father of lights and vnlesse still thou meane to sit in darknesse thou must haue recourse vnto God praying him that he would shine into thy hart to giue thee the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. And remember this that he who seeks for the knowledge of matters of religion by the strength of his owne wit and other naturall parts without humble and faithfull supplications for Gods assistance in this behalfe such a man is in danger to be misled into manie erroneous and hereticall opinions for if in any thing much more in the matters of religion is that most true he that is a scholler vnto his owne reason hath certainelie a foole to his master Wherefore we are to put on an humble and sober minde intreating his direction submitting our reason to his wisedome Now my brethren doe these things and prosper haue an eare open to heare the word a heart readie to meditate on it a tongue seasonablie to talke of it an eie diligent to read it and with all these ioine heartie praier that thou maiest vnderstand it aright and then be thriving and succesfull in holie knowledge though thy tallent be as yet but small yet follow this course and after a verie little paines and patience thou shalt see for certaine that this traffique will returne thee ten for one even a large increase of all spirituall knowledge The gaine whereof shall bring much glorie to that thy heavenlie master that set thee on worke and to thee his good and faithfull servant a bountifull rewarde for thy labour FINIS HEB. 3. 12. 13. Take heede least there be in any of you an evill heart of vnbeliefe in departing from the living God c. THE words containe in them a serious exhortation to perseverance in the profession of the Gospell of Christ. The occasion is from the Comparison which the Apostle makes betweene Moses and Christ and betweene the Church of the Iewes and of the Gentiles vnder Christ Moses and Christ agreeing in that both are faithfull to him that appointed them in the ex●cution of their office but they differ in that Moses is but a seruant in the house of God Christ is the sonne Moses gouerned as a delegated officer Christ rules as a soueraigne Lord of the Church the house which himselfe hath built hauing purchased it with his blood rear'd it vp with his spirit preseruing it by his power therefore he is justly Lord of it as of his owne and so he hath the preheminence aboue Moses The Church vnder Moses and vnder Christ what ever difference there be in other matters yet in this they are in one and the same condition that as there reverence was required vnto Moses so now obedience is required vnto Christ. It was to no purpose for the Iewes to plead they were Moses disciples the peculiar people of God chosen of him graced by him with so many favours if yet in the meane time they hardened their heartes and would not heare Gods voice but provoked him by their Idolatries murmurings other disobediences tempted him through Infidelitie and despised his word and marveilous wonders wrought among them In this case no priuiledge coulde helpe them they shall surelie smart for their disobedience and if God may bee believed vpon his oath they haue displeased him so much that they shal never enter into his rest The verie same thing the Apostle applies vnto Christians they are the Church of Christ members of the bodie of Christ partakers of his benefits and graces but it is vpon this condition that they shew themselues faithfull in the obedience of the gospell of Christ His house we are saith the Apostle ver 6. if we hold fast the confidence of reioycing of the hope firme vnto the end perseverance and faithfulnesse is that which makes men true members of the Church of Christ whether Iewish or Christian If the Iewes be vnbelieving and rebellious they come shorte of the land of Canaan in the type and substance too If the Christians be like them in their sin their punishment is the same they are excluded also from the heavenly rest of the people of God Wherefore the Apostle in the next Chapter presseth this exhortation vehemently That these Hebrews to whom hee writes should carefullie looke to themselues that they were not as their Fathers of old vnfaithfull and disobedient in their profession thereof least they become also like to their Fathers deprived of all benefit from promise in Christ. Take heede therefore Brethren saith he that there be not c. This is the occasion The parts of the words are two 1 An Admonition to take heede of Apostasie or backesliding from religion which is here described 1. by ' its nature it is a departing from the living God the fountaine of all

Saints departed or in Adam in his innocencie none is so stupid and dull as not to admire it in them and to wish for the like in himselfe so farre as he might be capeable of it In which case when we looke backe from them to our selues who can choose but hang downe his head for very shame and griefe to see God and these blessed creatures inhabiting in so glorious a brightnes and light somnes whilest himselfe dwels in darkenes compassed about with a blacke night of ignorance errour and obscuritie He seeth as much difference betweene himselfe and them as between him that travailes by the cleare sunne-shine and one that walkes by a candle Knowledge is like the sunne in the world or the eie in a mans face nothing would be more rufull and dismall then the world without the light of the sun nor is any deformity in the face more notable then the want of an eie And certainely there is nothing more vglie to behold then that soule which is darkned in its vnderstanding through blindnes and ignorance being destitute of the knowledge of God of Christ of grace of Religion the knowledge whereof is both light and life vnto the soule 2 In the next place let vs consider the causes of mans ignorance and they are two both very bad according as the effect 1 The first is Adams sinne from whose fall this naturall corruption and weaknes is derived vnto vs. Hee sinned and we in him both are punished among other great losses with the losse of those glorious abilities of our vnderstanding part It had once a power and large capacity to comprehend all things both naturall divine but at this time a very great weakenes and dimnesse of sight is fallen vpon it in discerning naturall things and for the knowledge of God and spirituall things it is growne even starke blinde Hence then is that first bond of ignorance which wee may call naturall and invincible Naturall because every sonne of Adam brings it with him into the world by the course of his generation and birth forasmuch as every one is borne weake-sighted with this infirmity and disabilitie in his vnderstanding Therefore in infants there is more then ignorantia purae negationis for being sinnefull ignorance is a part of their originall corruption and so t is also pravae dispositionis they not only know not by reason of age but are ill disposed to know by reason of the disability of their sinfull nature Againe this ignorance is tearmed invincible or vnavoidable because the naturall man alwaies continues in it and cannot by his owne strength ever get out of it but only by the helpe of Gods spirit outwardly affording the the meanes of holy knowledge inwardly inlightning the minde to vnderstand them aright as the Apostle sheweth 2. Cor. 3. 18. 2. Our owne sinne viz wilfull rebellion in neglecting and despising all holy meanes of knowledge when meanes are not they seek not after them when they be offered they refuse them or vse them with al carelesnesse and disrespect when men winke against the light closing vp their eies that it may not shine id their hearts when they will none of wisdomes instructions but stubbornely say to God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Hence is that other kinde of ignorance which we call affected a fouler fault by farre then the former when men know nothing and yet scorne to learne anie thing they will not heare nor conferre nor read nor pray nor vse any meanes to get knowledge but are content to sit still in darknes as the Egyptians were sometimes forced to doe not stirring one way or other A miserable condition but I shall tel you the reason of it they abide in darknes because they are loth to see and to be seene Should they come abroad in the light their manifold deformities and abominable corruptions would be discovered by the light of the word to their shame and griefe they should meete with many reproofes of their lewd courses many perswasions to piety and obedience all which they can by no meanes endure it is death to them to heare of their faults when they are resolved not to amend them and they will be wilfullie ignorant of that which being once knowne would often trouble their consciences This reason of mans wilful affected ignorance Christ giues Ioh. 3. 19. 20. Light came into the world and men loved darknes rather then light because their deedes were evill for every man that evill doth hates the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproved These are the causes of this ignorance originall corruption disabling vs to know actuall stubbornesse and frowardnesse making vs vnwilling to know wherefore ignorance must needes be ill that hath so ill causes where the roote is rottennesse you can looke for no fruit but corruption 3. Come we in the third place to the effects of it you shall see it is evill and hurtfull in that regard also The fruits of ignorance are two 1. sinne 2. punishment 1. sinne Ignorance is a sinne it selfe and it is a cause of many sinnes There be mother sinnes and this is one of them a fruitfull mother not of devotion as blinde Papists would haue vs belieue but of iniquitie and impietie An ignorant man is a wicked man an ignorant Priest is a wicked Priest an ignorant people a sinnefull people T is plaine by this very chapter There is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land saith the prophet ver 1. What followes thence why this by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and c●mmitting adultery they breake out and blood toucheth blood vers 2. Againe Israell doth not know my peopled th not consider saith the Prophet Isaiah Chapt. 1. v. 3. what of that they might yet be devout and holy might they not No read the complaint that followes therevpon ver 3. Ah sinnefull nation a people laden with iniquitie a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters they haue forsaken the Lord they haue provoked the holy one of Israel they are gone away backward see the fruits of ignorance whereby men become Apostates from God wicked in themselues corrupters of others for so it is they that know no good themselues haue yet knowledge enough to teach another to doe evill nor can this bee otherwise for as much as where the heart is evill the life wil be wicked Now an ignorant person is devoide of grace So saith the Apostle touching the Gentiles that they were strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them because of the blindnesse of their harts Eph. 4. ●8 that is they were destitute of all sauing and quickning power of Gods spirit they had no grace no faith no feare no loue no true affection to God or any spirituall goodnes they had neither care nor desire of that they knew not whence ver 19. followes immediatly their lewd